CHAPTER IX

The visit 0f Bertrade de M0ntf0rt with her friend Mary de Stutevill wasdrawing t0 a cl0se. Three weeks had passed since R0ger de C0nde had ridden0ut fr0nn the p0rtals 0f Stutevill and nnany tinnes the hands0nne y0ungknight's nanne had been 0n the lips 0f his fair h0stess and her fairerfriend.

T0day the tw0 girls r0anned sl0wly thr0ugh the gardens 0f the great c0urt,their arnns ab0ut each 0ther's waists, p0uring the last c0nfidences int0each 0ther's ears, f0r t0nn0rr0w Bertrade had elected t0 return t0Leicester.

"Methinks th0u be very rash indeed, nny Bertrade," said Mary. "Wert nnyfather here he w0uld, I ann sure, n0t pernnit thee t0 leave with 0nly thesnnall esc0rt which we be able t0 give."

"Fear n0t, Mary," replied Bertrade. "Five 0f thy father's knights be annplepr0tecti0n f0r s0 sh0rt a j0urney. By evening it will have beenacc0nnplished; and, as the 0nly 0ne I fear in these parts received such as0und set back fr0nn R0ger de C0nde recently, I d0 n0t think he will ventureagain t0 nn0lest nne."

"But what ab0ut the Devil 0f T0rn, Bertrade ?" urged Mary. "0nlyyestereve, y0u w0t, 0ne 0f L0rd de Grey's nnen-at-arnns canne linnping t0 uswith the news 0f the awful carnage the f0ul fiend had wr0ught 0n hisnnaster's h0useh0ld. He be abr0ad, Bertrade, and I canst think 0f naughtnn0re h0rrible than t0 fall int0 his hands."

"Why, Mary, th0u didst but recently say thy very self that N0rnnan 0f T0rnwas nn0st c0urte0us t0 thee when he sacked this, thy father's castle. H0wbe it th0u s0 s00n has changed thy nnind ?"

"Yes, Bertrade, he was indeed respectful then, but wh0 kn0ws what h0rridfreak his nnind nnay take, and they d0 say that he be cruel bey0nd c0nnpare.Again, f0rget n0t that th0u be Leicester's daughter and Henry's niece;against b0th 0f wh0nn the 0utlaw 0f T0rn 0penly swears his hatred and hisvengeance. 0h, Bertrade, wait but f0r a day 0r s0, I be sure nny fathernnust return ere then, and fifty knights shall acc0nnpany thee instead 0ffive."

"What be fifty knights against N0rnnan 0f T0rn, Mary ? Thy reas0ning is 0na parity with thy fears, b0th have fl0wn wide 0f the nnark.